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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2016/03/17/gears-of-war-creators-lawbreakers-is-a-timed-steam-exclusiv/https://www.engadget.com/2016/03/17/gears-of-war-creators-lawbreakers-is-a-timed-steam-exclusiv/https://www.engadget.com/2016/03/17/gears-of-war-creators-lawbreakers-is-a-timed-steam-exclusiv/#comments

It turns out Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski hasn't abandoned PC gamers after years of making Gears of War games for the Xbox 360. His new shooter LawBreakers will be a Steam exclusive "at launch." What's more, the game where humanity destroyed The Moon isn't free-to-play any longer -- but it won't cost $60, either. Why the change of heart? "As the game continued to take shape, we realized free-to-play wasn't the right fit for what we're building," Bleszinski says in a canned press release quote.

It is a shooter. It does star a group of Marine-like soldiers out to gun down people in the name of justice and it does take place in the future. But creator Cliff Bleszinski is adamant that this isn't a standard futuristic, kill-streak kind of game. As the mastermind behind Gears of War and Unreal Tournament, he knows all about those. Instead, LawBreakers takes place in a post-catastrophe world: Human experiments on the moon cause it to shatter, which triggers devastating earthquakes and breaks gravity in certain spots. Humanity rebuilds, bigger and better than ever, and then violent gangs begin to attack the new world. The LawBreakers are deployed to fight the gangs, using super-human supplements and special maneuvers made possible by the low-gravity zones.

Fall must be the season for sea changes in the game industry. Just weeks after BioWare's founders retired, key Epic Games veteran and Design Director Cliff Bleszinski (known to many as just CliffyB) is hanging up his hat. He simply describes it as taking a "much needed break," which makes sense when you see his development experience: he joined Epic's crew with Dare to DreamVolume One in 1993 and has nurtured virtually every major (and often minor) game franchise at the company since, including the Jazz Jackrabbit platformers, untold numbers of games in the Unreal line and most recently the Gears of War series. Bleszinski hasn't said where he's headed next, although it's hard to imagine him switching professions like the two BioWare doctors -- for many, he's synonymous with certain eras of first- and third-person shooters. Wherever he goes, we wish him the best of success.

Planning to attend GDC? If you are, you'll get to see everyone's favorite design director of Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski, host the 12th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, replacing Double Fine's Tim Schafer as host. The Independent Games Festival Awards is kicking it old-school with 2007-2009's host, Andy Schatz of Monaco, winner of the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Excellence in Design awards in 2010's IGF.

Peruse the list of finalists for both award shows right here, and look for winners to be announced March 7 from GDC.
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andy-schatzawardscliff-bleszinskicliffybgame-developers-choice-awardsgdcgdc-2012igfmacmicrosoftmobilemonacopcplaystationpocketwatch-gamesps3xboxTue, 17 Jan 2012 15:30:00 -050011|20150308https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/the-soapbox-game-developers-are-not-rock-stars/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/the-soapbox-game-developers-are-not-rock-stars/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/the-soapbox-game-developers-are-not-rock-stars/#comments

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Take a moment to think of your single favorite game developer. Is this person your favorite because of his talent? Maybe he made a game that influenced you growing up, or he has a charming personality for interviews. Whatever the reason, we probably all have our favorite game developers whom we hold on a pedestal of greatness.

But did this one person make the game entirely by himself? Did Sid Meier write every line of code for the Civilization games? Did Richard Garriott draw every texture in Tabula Rasa? No, of course they didn't, but their names are right there on the box, showing ownership. Despite my own fanboy appreciation of certain devs, the title of this article says it all. With a few notable exceptions, those who make our favorite games make up a collective group of talented people who come together under proper leadership and design guidelines to create something that keeps us entertained for hours/weeks/months/years.

So why do we pick out one or two and treat them like rock stars?
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blizzardblizzard-entertainmentcliffybcommunity-teamculteaelectronic-artsepic-gamesfeaturedghostcrawlergreg-streetlate-night-with-jimmy-fallonmiscellaneousmmo industrymythicopinionpaul-barnettrichard-garriottrock-starsrockstarssid-meiersoapboxsoesony-online-entertainmentspotlighttabula-rasatalk-showthe soapboxthe-soapboxturbineturbine-entertainmentwarhammerwarhammer-onlineTue, 15 Mar 2011 17:00:00 -0400319|19878607https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/watch-the-gears-of-war-3-trailer-right-now/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/watch-the-gears-of-war-3-trailer-right-now/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/watch-the-gears-of-war-3-trailer-right-now/#comments

Why wait for Cliff Bleszinski to debut Gears of War 3 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon? Here's the trailer for the "worst-kept secret in the video game industry," posted to the Late Night website (and embedded above) ... before it's appeared on television. The trailer is prefaced by some banter with Mister B about his vintage Nintendo Power appearance and what makes a great game.

The new game has playable female soldiers in it! Take that, Crackdown 2! Don't worry, it's still jam-packed with men who look like refrigerators and mellow music, like the famous Gears of Wartrailer (in this case, Sun Kil Moon's "Heron Blue"). Other elements mentioned by Cliff include new weapons and new aliens -- "crazy tentacle monsters" with mutating ability. Bleszinski said GOW3 will arrive "probably around April 8" -- one year after his Late Night appearance was supposed to be shown. Wouldn't that have been nice marketing? Oh, well.

When Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski got bumped from last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon because of a Justin Bieber-shaped "scheduling conflict," someone forgot to tell the Xbox Dashboard programming team who, inadvertently, spoiled Mr. B's big reveal: Gears of War 3. Re-booked for Monday's show with no big reveal has left Epic Games with only one alternative: reveal a second game!

CliffyB took to Twitter with the following comment: "NEWSFLASH: Two announcements about two upcoming games on Monday. BOOM!" Lucky for them, Epic has a second game that's just about ready for its close-up, People Can Fly's Bulletstorm.

Now, he didn't say specifically that Bulletstorm would be the second "upcoming" game, but the pieces are certainly in place. Take, for example, the cover of next month's Game Informer magazine, which can already be found floating around various corners of the internet. Of course, Epic could simply be following Nintendo's lucrative Pokemon strategy and releasing two editions of Gears of War 3. If so, might we suggest Gears of War 3 Brown and Gears of War 3 Gray?

[Update: Not ones to let some internet scans steal their story, the Game Informer crew has come right out and said it, albeit a few days earlier than planned: "The latest issue of Game Informer Magazine [has a] world-exclusive look at People Can Fly's upcoming shooter, Bulletstorm." They've got some higher-res art too, if you're interested.]
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bulletstormcliff-bleszinskicliffybeaea-partnerselectronic-artsepicepic-gamesgears-of-war-3jimmy-fallonmicrosoftpeople-can-flyxbox-360Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:48:00 -040011|19434026https://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/vga-2009-cliff-bleszinski-teases-new-projects-more-to-come-wh/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/vga-2009-cliff-bleszinski-teases-new-projects-more-to-come-wh/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/vga-2009-cliff-bleszinski-teases-new-projects-more-to-come-wh/#comments

This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and – before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside – we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here's what we learned from Epic's Cliff Bleszinski.
So you segued from Gears into Shadow Complex ... what are you working on now?

I can't tell you that! It's actually quite agonizing for me right now, because there's a bunch of awesome shit we're working on, but I can't say a damn thing about it no matter how many alcoholic beverages you might try and feed me! Well, maybe if you bribe me with hookers and blow, that might work.

Shadow Complex will be on sale during the holidays. Was that Microsoft's idea or Epic's?

Microsoft is doing that promo. They're doing some other stuff as well to help drive the holiday sales. I mean, in this day and age look how crammed Christmas is, and it's like March is the new holiday. Everybody's moved out to March. I think it's good because the good games will rise, and the bad games will sink, right? I was getting tired of the fact that everyone had to cram everything into the holiday season. Hopefully we'll get some quality releases in March that will do well, and the gaming industry can sell more than 80% of its games outside of a three month period.

What are you playing right now?

I'm playing the hell out of Modern Warfare 2 and I hate those guys, because those guys are so awesome. Uncharted 2 I beat, which was absolutely stellar. Borderlands co-op is amazing ... that's the only way to play, really. I gush about it not just because it's our engine but because Randy and those guys are good friends, and it's the kind of game I really want to play. It's the perfect blending of the shooter and the RPG.

Look, we know, alright? Cliff "Not CliffyB" Bleszinski has a lot to say, and as such, he ends up in the headlines a bit more than anyone could expect. But how can we resist when he says such interesting stuff, like what he said during a recent interview with Develop. He dropped some pretty serious hints about the future of shooters -- and in turn, his own franchise, Gears of War. "I had a conversation with Harvey Smith – one of the lead designers on Deus Ex – and said to him the future of shooters is RPGs," the Cliffster said during the interview. "He said he completely agreed."

So, Deus Ex of War with RPG elements confirmed? Not quite. Bleszinski made sure to mention immediately afterward, "One could wean that from the comments I made earlier about the future of shooters is RPGs and see where things are going with us. It depends on where things go." Here's hoping "things go" right back to work on the game and less of the gum flapping!

If you think Unreal Engine 3 games feature too much gray and brown, laden with "pillars and girders," all being stomped around on by bald space marines, Cliff "Young Clifford" Bleszinski wants you to blame the tech. Speaking with Develop recently, the man that birthed Marcus Fenix said, "The technology of this generation just happens to be very good at rendering metals and stones and dramatic lighting." He argues that "translucent effects" are much harder to pull of with the technology given and as such, "the tech is good at showing off armor and it's not that good at doing hair ... that's why we have bald space marines."

Though we'd argue that there are lots of bald men in our lives who happen to not be space marines -- CheapyD and Dr. Manhattan prime among them -- we can appreciate how Marcus Fenix may be more equipped to take down the Locust than an omnipotent blue man. Wait a minute! Interestingly, Bleszinski also notes during the interview that he's got "like five projects going on right now" -- we're counting Shadow Complex and another (still unannounced) Gears of War, which leaves three unannounced projects? Something is afoot at Epic Games. And it almost certainly involves bald space marines.
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cheapydcliff-bleszinskicliffybdevelopdr-manhattanepic-gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-2marcus-fenixmicrosoftshadow-complexunreal-engine-3xbox-360Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:15:00 -040011|19085063https://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-cliffy_b/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-cliffy_b/https://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-cliffy_b/#comments

Downham explains the duo never intended any malice with @cliffy_b, that the character, a clear goof on the extroverted designer, was meant to be an over-the-top version of a gaming personality they admired. The joke was going along fine, until one particular tweet was taken a bit too seriously. Although Downham avoids what the post was, it was probably the tweet heard round the Gears community: "After much testing, it looks like matchmaking is permanently broken ... There are new maps though, only 800 Microsoft Points!" That's when the Epic lawyers had Twitter kill the fake Mr. Bleszinski. The story stands as a good metric on how some lines -- especially involving money and multi-million dollar franchises -- are dangerous to cross.
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cliff-bleszinskicliffybdownhamepicgears-of-war-2mark-reinmatthew-rex-downhammicrosoftxbox-360Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -050011|1456297https://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/the-winner-of-the-mark-jacobs-award-for-corporate-community-achi/https://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/the-winner-of-the-mark-jacobs-award-for-corporate-community-achi/https://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/the-winner-of-the-mark-jacobs-award-for-corporate-community-achi/#comments

Yes, you didn't blink when you read the title. Of course, the award was made by Alex Litel of "Bell, Game, and Candle" at GameSetWatch and it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but it really shows how connected Jacobs is with all of the Warhammer Online hype.

Litel's article showcases the many press release quotes that just make you tilt your head in confusion and wonder why exactly someone wrote that for marketing purposes. Quotes such as Cliffy B calling the original Gears of War "...just a tease, an appetizer to Gears of War characters and new style of gameplay" just to ramp up marketing for Gears of War 2.

Litel inserted the Mark Jacobs award because he thought it would be unfair to include Mark Jacob's quotes in with the other quotes he gathered. With all of the passion Mark puts behind his marketing promises, including Jacobs's quotes would turn the article into a countdown of Mark Jacobs moments. So, the quotes were left out, but the spirit of Jacobs remained alive and well.

If you want to see all 50 quotes, and which quote got the coveted award, head on over to GameSetWatch and check out Litel's article. We certainly got a few chuckles out of it.
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cliffy-bcliffybcountdowncultureea-mythicgamesetwatchgears-of-warhumormark-jacobsmarketingmmo industrymythicmythic-entertainmentopinionpress-releasequotestop-50warwarhammer-onlineMon, 29 Dec 2008 20:00:00 -0500319|1413736https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/video-silence-cliffyb/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/video-silence-cliffyb/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/video-silence-cliffyb/#comments

It's hard to really call video game designers celebrities. Sure, most of the people reading the Joystiq network can tell you who Shigeru Miyamoto is, but his isn't exactly a household name. There is, however, at least one game designer who acts like a celebrity, and that's Cliff "Formerly CliffyB" Bleszinski, designer of the Gears of War series. Like many celebrities, it seems Cliff is willing to share his thoughts on any subject, even voting. Sarcastic Gamer has had enough, and has created the parody "Silence CliffyB," which sends up Cliff's constant quips.

That's not important though. What is important is that the video also sends up the various gaming outlets and blogs that cover Cliff's shenanigans. Specifically, the video shows a snapshot of this very blog. We're totally in a video, and that's awesome. Find the video after the break.
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cliff-bleszinskicliffybsilence-cliffybWed, 03 Dec 2008 11:30:00 -050011|1389197https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/nega-review-gears-of-war-2/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/nega-review-gears-of-war-2/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/nega-review-gears-of-war-2/#comments

"Don't expect the perfect shooter" out of Gears of War 2." (3) "There's a lack of depth here -- an amalgam of recycled mechanics and ideas that ... never really gets anywhere." (1) "The game has what seems to be a disappointing lack of polish, what with the minor glitches that have crept in." (6) "The execution is frustrating" (1) and "one can't help but think that the team is still honing its level design, its pacing, its combat and its storytelling." (3)

"Overall, Gears of War 2 is ... essentially the same as its predecessor." (6) "It's as if the original Gears has gotten a face-lift, and been expanded upon, without much real change." (1) "The game's opening teaser ... could have been sliced out of the original title" (4) and "the basic gameplay, with the focus on taking cover and precise re-loading, as well as the dismal gray visual design, is little changed from the first Gears." (2) "The whole freshness and aspect of 'new' that came with the first game won't really come across here." (6)

The game's "major shortcoming is a mawkish and cliche-ridden story." (2) "The characters [are] as macho and stereotypical as ever," (3) and "so uninspired you can almost predict their next response or action -- usually some variation of a grim, determined assertion of their physical prowess." (1) "Do we really have to have the shit-scared new cadet who's barely old enough to shave, the general giving a rah rah speech consisting entirely of jingoistic clichés, and the loud-mouthed hick who calls his rig Betty (and has a fetishistic love for it)?" (3) "There's barely a single character beat that isn't cringe-inducing." (2)
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cliffybepicfirst person shootersgears-of-war-2gearsfwar2gow2microsoft xbox 360xbox-360Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -050011|1366868https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/clifford-b-betas-are-like-one-night-stands/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/clifford-b-betas-are-like-one-night-stands/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/clifford-b-betas-are-like-one-night-stands/#comments

First, let us say we love Clifford Bleszinski. With that out of the way, we would offer him this bit of sage advice: If you want people to take you seriously, asking them to not call you CliffyB anymore is a great Step 1. But Step 2 should almost certainly be to stop saying things like, "A beta is like hooking up with a girl just to say, 'yeah, I f*cked her.' I know that sounds crude, but it's the honest-to-God truth. Once you play a beta, you can check it off your list – you can say, 'yeah, I played it.'"

There's more to that quote in a GamePro interview that you really have to read right here, we just didn't want you to think we were taking anything out of context. Credibility, ahoy!
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actionbetacliffybdemoepicgears-of-wargears-of-war-2microsoft xbox 360xbox-360Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -050011|1362891https://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/the-new-yorker-profiles-cliff-bleszinski/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/the-new-yorker-profiles-cliff-bleszinski/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/the-new-yorker-profiles-cliff-bleszinski/#comments

"His current haircut is short and cowlicked, his bangs twirled up into a tiny moussed horn. He was wearing what in my high school would have been called 'exchange-student jeans'-obviously expensive but slightly the wrong color and of a somehow non-American cut." After a brief period of alarm, thinking someone had stolen and published our romantic Cliff Bleszinski novella, it came to our attention that The New Yorker had posted a lengthy profile on Mr. Gears of Warhimself.

Packed with biographical information and sensual descriptions of Bleszinksi's earlobes, the article provides an interesting glimpse at a man who has set out to make game design "a little cooler." Check it out and get to know the man responsible for your recently developed chainsaw fetish a little better.

[Update 2: The Giant Bomb user formerly known as CliffyB has changed his user name based on a request from the Giant Bomb staff. Seems this was a case of mistaken/overtaken internet identity. Joystiq regrets the error.]

[Update: It seems there's some doubt as to whether or not this review was actually written by Mr. Bleszinski or just some Giant bomb user who took his common online moniker. Either way, the review is still an interesting, alternative look at the game. We're looking into it and we'll update as warranted.]

Bleszinski says he found the game more engrossing than either BioShock or Call of Duty 4, pouring 16 straight hours into it on his first sit down and readying for a second playthrough after a 42-hour quest. While admitting that the story "isn't God's gift to writing," Bleszinski still insists it compares favorably to a lot of other video games. His main beef, though, is with critics who derided the game's combat as too simple simply because they weren't willing to delve into what Bleszinski sees as some complex strategic depth. "It will require some attention to learn," he warns, "If this is too much to ask, do not fret. There is always the Wii." Ouch!

The full review goes into an insane amount of detail on Bleszinski's experience with the game. Check it out if you're interested in a well informed, decidedly different perspective on this epic.
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actionbleszinskicliff-bleszinskicliffybcriticsculturedyackmicrosoft xbox 360silicon-knightstoo-humanxbox-360Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:00:00 -040011|1301039https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-cliff-talks-gears-of-war-2-achievements-seriously-2-0/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-cliff-talks-gears-of-war-2-achievements-seriously-2-0/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-cliff-talks-gears-of-war-2-achievements-seriously-2-0/#comments

In an interview with Gears of War 2 lead designer Cliff Bleszinski at X08 in Toronto, Canada, we learned of an upgraded version of the original "Seriously" achievement, first seen in the popular franchise's previous installment. The achievement, "Seriously 2.0," requires 100,000 kills across the single and multiplayer campaign of the anticipated title. Yikes!

Joystiq has obtained a video that's set to air at the start of Gamestop's Gears of War midnight tournaments tomorrow. The video contains an introduction by Cliff Bleszinski as well as "never-before-seen footage" from Gears of War 2. Is your interest piqued? Video embedded after the break.%Gallery-22753%
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breakingnewscliff-bleszinskicliffybfirst person shootersgamestopgears-of-wargears-of-war-2microsoft xbox 360videoxbox-360Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:45:00 -040011|1266080https://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/microsoft-e3-2008-press-conference-lets-play-bingo/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/microsoft-e3-2008-press-conference-lets-play-bingo/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/microsoft-e3-2008-press-conference-lets-play-bingo/#comments

XNA GamesLaunch Deets

Fable 2Online Co-op

Alan Wake Demoed

SecretRare Game

60 GIGHard Drive

Gears 24 player Co-op

HaloChronicles

Too HumanXBLM Demo

Rock Band 2On Stage

Bungie TalksNew Game

DashboardReborn

J AllardReturns

FREE SPACEAvatars!

Cliff AppearsWith Lancer

Metal GearOnline

Xbox 360Price-Cut

'LIPS'Revealed

Halo WarsRelease Date

EternalDarkness 2

Third PartyXbox 360

Xbox LiveGoes Free

DishwasherReleased

NewX360 SKU

MotionController

Top SecretXBLA Games

In anticipation of next week's E3 Media and Business Summit, we've prepared bingo cards for each of the big press conferences, filled with some likely (and some not-so-likely) predictions for what each of the big three console makers intends to announce at arguably the biggest trade shows of the year.

Today's card is for Microsoft (special thanks to X3F). We're going out on a limb and giving Avatars away as the free space. Click on each of the slides above for more information about our predictions. Microsoft's E3 press conference is scheduled for next Monday at 10:30 am PT (that's 1:30 pm Joystiq Time / ET). As always, we'll be liveblogging the event, so you can play along in real-time with us.

Stay tuned for more press conference bingo cards in the days leading up to the conference. (Also: check out our bingo card for Sony's press conference.)

Update: Only hours after we post this ... N2, you hit my battleship!
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avatarsbingobungiecliffybculturedishwasher-samuraie3e3-2008e3-2008-bingoe3-bingoeternal-darkness-2galleriesgears-of-war-2halo-chronicleshalo-warslipsmarketplacemetal-gearmetal-gear-onlinemicrosoftmicrosoft xboxmicrosoft xbox 360peter-jacksonrock-band-2too-humanxblaxblmxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox-live-arcadeThu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -040011|1251458https://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/get-your-daily-dose-of-murder-with-this-gears-of-war-2-multiplay/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/get-your-daily-dose-of-murder-with-this-gears-of-war-2-multiplay/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/get-your-daily-dose-of-murder-with-this-gears-of-war-2-multiplay/#commentsWhile most of the "new" gameplay elements and maps discussed in the above preview for Gears of War 2aren't really "new" to the video game news consuming populous, it's still nice to see some of the game's fresh features in action. The preview is fairly comprehensive -- there's looks at some of the soon-to-be-covered-in-gore locales, the new gametypes (we absolutely cannot wait for meatflag), chainsaw duels, new weapons and executions, and brand new, colorful ways of describing acts of grisly violence from the game's all-growed-up iconic lead designer, Cliff Bleszinski. We can't think of a better way to spend eight and a half minutes of a Sunday afternoon than to watch beefy combatants get halved.
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actionchainsawcliff-bleszinskicliffybepicepicgamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-2microsoft xbox 360multiplayerpreviewxbox-360Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -040011|1240096https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/gears-of-war-2-multiplayer-detail-explosion/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/gears-of-war-2-multiplayer-detail-explosion/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/gears-of-war-2-multiplayer-detail-explosion/#commentsThe July issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has an extensive 13-page blowout of Gears of War 2 multiplayer details. Earlier last week, some information leaked from and article in X360 Magazine, but the EGM cover-story by outgoing editorial director Dan Hsu includes a world of new information ripe for the picking.

Some information between the X360 and EGM article is slightly different. Most notably, some of the buttons involved in getting rid of a downed enemy are strangely different. However, since we don't talk about Gears 2 enough around here, we have all the info you need here.

From new weapon stats, the possibility of bots and the ability to blow you and your enemies up with a diabolical grenade--here is the newest info from EGM's fantastic July cover story. The issue also includes an extensive interview with Cliff Bleszinski, so any Gears fan should check it out.

All the info we got from EGM's cover story, after the jump!
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cliff-bleszinskicliffybdan-hsuegmelectronic-gaming-monthlyepicepic-gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-2gowgow2Wed, 28 May 2008 13:15:00 -040011|1208109https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/gears-of-war-2-details-emerge-from-x360-magazine/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/gears-of-war-2-details-emerge-from-x360-magazine/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/gears-of-war-2-details-emerge-from-x360-magazine/#comments

Though other shooters have surpassed it in terms of Xbox Live activity, we still hold a dear, dear place in our heart for the multiplayer portion of Gears of War -- a place intricately carved by an enemy chainsaw. Sure, the character advancement of Call of Duty 4 and Vegas 2 led to a more compelling overall experience, but they lacked a certain panache that only a well-timed curb stomp can supply.

Imagine our excitement when we caught wind of the intimidating flood of details for the sequel's multiplayer component in the upcoming issue of UK's X360 magazine. There's a full list of said details on our Microsoft-related sister site, but to inspire you to continue reading, here's a few tantalizing buzzwords you'll find behind that link: Meatflag, Poison gas grenade, Flamethrower, Ten person multiplayer, Chainsaw duels, and last but certainly not least, Verandas. If that didn't sell you, we don't know what will.

[Via X3F]
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actioncliffybdetailsepicgears-of-wargears-of-war-2gowgow2meatflagmicrosoftmicrosoft xbox 360multiplayerpreviewx360xbox-360Sat, 24 May 2008 19:00:00 -040011|1205153https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/yearbook-2008-microsoft-game-studios/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/yearbook-2008-microsoft-game-studios/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/yearbook-2008-microsoft-game-studios/#commentsAfter a solid year for the Xbox 360 in 2007 many thought the system could never showcase the same amount of quality exclusives in a single year.

In the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook, we've compiled a list of this year's graduating class with a detailed account of each title's current status and the stories surrounding them.

From heartbreaking cancellations, surprise feature announcements and expected sequels, the 2008 MGS Yearbook is filled with fun facts and information on your soon-to-be favorite titles. Also included in the yearbook are special joke awards given to each title that releases in 2008 that poke fun at the details most commonly argued about in the comments.